Alazan Bayou WMA 2021

[Gopher]

Looking to go to this hunt this year. Anyone else drawn? Any one have positive insights into the Alazan Bayou?


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[luna-tuna]

It's a hard hunt but they're are some nice deer there. ctom drew last year; maybe he will be along shortly to give some advice. Will you be gun hunting or archery ?

[Gopher]

It's a hard hunt but they're are some nice deer there. ctom drew last year; maybe he will be along shortly to give some advice. Will you be gun hunting or archery ?

Archery.


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[BarW]

Acorns should be falling, if your lucky maybe not all trees at once to help congregate the deer.
If they allow baiting it will draw plenty of hogs.
Take 3 thermacells and 3 backup thermacells per person. ( mosquitos the size of dragon flys ).

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[TexasArchery_27]

Just noticed that they don’t allow hunting for deer on that property during the archery only season anymore. It’s draw only now, except for the old river tract (boat access only). Wonder why they did that?

[SETXslayer]

I drew for hunt on 10/25, never been before but ready to get out there

[luna-tuna]

Just noticed that they don’t allow hunting for deer on that property during the archery only season anymore. It’s draw only now, except for the old river tract (boat access only). Wonder why they did that?

Yep, this is the 3rd season with the new rules of draw only. Who knows why they changed. 26 yrs of just showing up, signing in and hunting wherever you chose. I, as well as most of the regulars who used to hunt there, prefer the former regulations. Oh well...

[Gopher]

I’m excited for it. Curious about the compartment assignments. If the place is 2200 acres and there are 12 at a minimum of us out there per hunt what is that going to look like. Sounds cramped but I guess that’s why they require orange so we can see each other walking around.


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[howie1968]

i was told they are doing a census and radio collard some deer, they mentioned dont shoot the deer with collars, However in April me and a friend camped there so we could get to dare to bowhunt hogs plus we like hiking the area. When i got to Alazan i filled out my card set up my tent. As i was setting up i heard turkeys gobbling. i was like (WHAT!) i thought i was hearing things then once again several were gobbling. my friend Andrew got there and i was telling him as it was slowly turning into the evening kept hearing turkeys. i woke up early the next morning to turkeys gobbling. got out of my tent and look to the west of camp and seen a big Tom with his fan out gobbling. the turkey was big so im assuming a Eastern. later that day we went hiking i went south of camp down to where there usually is beans of some sort growing a nice little food plot and seen turkeys out in that food plot? i never asked anyone at the office about it but i was pleasently surprised maybey the restocked them at alazan just food for thought

[Gopher]

i was told they are doing a census and radio collard some deer, they mentioned dont shoot the deer with collars, However in April me and a friend camped there so we could get to dare to bowhunt hogs plus we like hiking the area. When i got to Alazan i filled out my card set up my tent. As i was setting up i heard turkeys gobbling. i was like (WHAT!) i thought i was hearing things then once again several were gobbling. my friend Andrew got there and i was telling him as it was slowly turning into the evening kept hearing turkeys. i woke up early the next morning to turkeys gobbling. got out of my tent and look to the west of camp and seen a big Tom with his fan out gobbling. the turkey was big so im assuming a Eastern. later that day we went hiking i went south of camp down to where there usually is beans of some sort growing a nice little food plot and seen turkeys out in that food plot? i never asked anyone at the office about it but i was pleasently surprised maybey the restocked them at alazan just food for thought

Is it open to public hunting for Turkeys in the spring?


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[luna-tuna]

Cool story Howie. I haven't seen any turkey in Alazan in several years. I have seen a few in the Experimental Forest and Winston's tho.

Gopher, they do not allow turkey hunting there.

[howie1968]

As of now, no sir

[howie1968]

Mr. Luna it took me by surprise andwinstons is to the south past the angelina at least 6 miles. i know you live out close to the WMA as we talked one day down the highline close to the office i know they are restocking as even at Alabama creek wma there are signs up about turkey and not shooting them. alazan would be perfect for turkey north of the bottoms as you have cover the experimental forest to the west and vast farms to the north and all the food plots in alazan

[TexasArchery_27]

Yep, this is the 3rd season with the new rules of draw only. Who knows why they changed. 26 yrs of just showing up, signing in and hunting wherever you chose. I, as well as most of the regulars who used to hunt there, prefer the former regulations. Oh well...

I think it adds value to the drawn hunts for the place. A spot like Old Sabine Bottom WMA loses value for the draws since you can hunt there during the archery season. I know that it makes a little difference getting to use a rifle as opposed to a bow, but not much.

I was just wondering if they did it because of a decline in the herd numbers or something. Seems like we're losing more access every couple of years or so. Can't access Alazan(For deer) except by draw. Cant access Richland Creek(for Deer) except by draw. Can't access Gus Engeling(For deer) except by draw

[C-dubyah]

This is a tough hunt meaning that you won't see a lot of traffic and will have to capitalize on any opportunities. There are good trees for blinds and good cover for ground blinds depending on your preference. They do have some blinds already set out in some compartments that are nice. You can corn out there and there are a ton of hogs, I saw a hog that looked like a bear coming out of the trees. The camp site is nice and clean but I have never seen so many spiders in all of my life. The daddy long legs come out at night and they will be crawling on everything, including you. The deer cleaning facilities and walk in cooler are top notch, by far the best I have seen for a public hunt area. Good staff too.